Marine biologists from Germany, Indonesia, and Wales have discovered two new species of wart sea slugs in North Sulawesi, Indonesia: Phyllidia ovata and Phyllidia fontjei. Both of these sea slugs have a distinct appearance and are much rarer than many others in the area. Their discovery adds to the rich biodiversity of the Indo-Pacific region. The study was published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

Scientists from the Marine Biological Association and the University of Plymouth have revisited turn-of-the-century forecasts about the many and varied threats they thought were likely to face the world’s shorelines in 2025. Their new study highlights that many of their forecasts were correct, either in whole or in part, while others haven’t had the impacts that were envisaged at the time. They have also charted some of the other threats to have emerged and/or grown in significance since their original work, with notable examples including global plastic pollution, ocean acidification, extreme storms and weather, and light and noise pollution.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce the launch of WavyOcean 2.0, an immersive digital twin platform of regional earth system. This upgraded platform deeply integrates digital technologies with innovative research in Earth system, creating the first "dynamic digital mirror" for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and China's coastal regions. With these enhancement, WavyOcean 2.0 offers the latest data on ocean currents, marine ecology, atmospheric conditions, and the distribution of rivers and pollutants in terrestrial watersheds, along with comprehensive data analysis tools and immersive visualization interactive functions. 

Sugars are essential for life in the ocean, but some resist breakdown even by the hungriest marine microbes. Now, scientists have developed a new tool that allows them to observe, in real time, how microbial communities feed on complex carbohydrates such as sugars. This approach can help us understand how marine microbes are involved in the global carbon cycle.

The underwater Caprera Canyon, off the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, is a hotspot of whale and dolphin diversity

Researchers will study how ocean currents and river nutrients affect deep coral ecosystems on the West Florida Shelf – one of the Gulf’s largest and least-studied habitats. Funded by the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, the project aims to support sustainable fisheries and conservation of these vital, little-explored habitats, which are home to economically important marine life. The research will guide science-based strategies for protecting the gulf coast’s long-term ecological and economic health.

In pre-clinical tests conducted at the University of São Paulo, compounds called batzelladins were effective even against strains of Plasmodium that are resistant to conventional antimalarial drugs.